Corporate approaches to IP management have varied considerably over the years, driven in part by changes to business structures and practices, as well as to stakeholder understanding of the role and value of intangible assets.
Despite holding a EU collective trademark, the EU General Court ruled that ‘Halloumi’ was too descriptive, and thus lacking in distinctive character, to successfully oppose a EU trademark application for ‘BBQloumi’. Now, the CJEU has set aside that decision.
As the coronavirus spreads, so too do related trademark applications. It’s only the latest example of how registrations follow medical and political news.
In a new twist to the ‘Royal’ trademark saga, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have retracted their application for the ‘Sussex Royal’ marks. Megan Taylor outlines the barriers to obtaining a Royal trademark.
Counterfeit activity is a threat to all modern businesses, affecting their profits, their reputation and, in some cases, the safety of their consumers. This white paper sets out five steps to success when targeting the trade in fakes, and provides answers to some frequently asked questions
If a trademark office deems a potential trademark to be contrary to public policy or accepted principles of morality, it can refuse to register the mark. Following a recent CJEU decision, concrete evidence will be necessary to substantiate that decision, as Casper Hemelrijk explains.
A recent judgement by the District Court of The Hague shows the importance of documenting comprehensive and consistent evidence of trademark and trade name use.
Such has been the success of the comedy movie Fack ju Göthe, its production company sought to register the title as a word mark. Casper Hemelrijk examines the public policy and morality objections within both the European and Benelux trademark contexts.
Celebrities are advised to protect their names as trademarks if they are to take action against unauthorised use by third parties, as Megan Taylor explains.
Frequently bloated with unused registrations or starved by gaps in coverage, a thorough audit of your trademark assets could help you to identify ways to streamline and exploit your portfolio, saving you money while also improving the efficiency of your assets.
As Liverpool Football Club recently discovered, there are barriers to registering the name of a town, city or other geographical place name as a trademark.
A recent judgement by the Court of Justice of the EU has considered whether failing to specify goods and services clearly and precisely in trademark applications is a sign that the applicant acted in bad faith.